SRINAGAR, Aug 9: Kashmir Traders Manufacturers Federation, Kashmir Economic Alliance has extended support to the strike call given by separatist leadership against the moves regarding ‘abrogation’ of Article 35-A which confers special rights and privileges on J&K’s permanent residents.

In a statement, president KTMF, Mohammad Yaseen Khan said “they are ready to face bullets in order to protect the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. It will be all out war if central government tinkers with Article 35-A. It is a matter of life and death for us.”

While expressing his support to the strike call, Khan who is also chairman of Kashmir Economic Alliance said “Business community be it traders, hoteliers or transporters are ready to sacrifice their lives to protect the special status of our state. RSS led government is using all dirty tactics to take away over special status but we won’t let it happen.”

He said that PDP-BJP government has done immense harm to the special status of the state. “First they implemented GST, then Statistics Bill and now attempts are being made to tinker with Article 35-A.”

Khan urged the business community to observe complete shutdown on August 12 on the call given by JRL in order to convey our message to international community loud and clear.

NEW DELHI, Aug 9 (Agencies): Amid the border standoff with China, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today said the Indian armed forces are strong enough to meet any challenge to the country’s security as he underlined that lessons have been learnt from the 1962 war.
He also said in the Rajya Sabha that the people of the country have a predominant wish of retrieving the parts of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan since 1948.
Jaitley, while initiating a special debate to mark the 75th anniversa